An online travel booking website that provides a Kuwait landline number to contact for services, has allegedly been defrauding passengers booking airline tickets through its portal.
Travel bookings have soared in recent weeks ahead of the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr holidays. A large number of travel bookings are now done online through websites of airlines and local travel agencies.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), which is responsible among others for monitoring and regulating online trade in Kuwait, has reportedly been besieged by complaints about the travel website, not only from citizens and residents in the country but also from people in neighboring states. The ministry is being approached by irate passengers because the website’s customer service number is a landline provided by Kuwait’s Ministry of Communication. Landlines are provided to companies only if they possess a valid license from MoCI.
People who book airline tickets through the ‘fake’ website then have the option to pay through a number of booking platforms , including directly through the website which offers the cheapest rate. Customers who opt for the lowest available price fall for the bait and pay for the ticket. A few days before the travel date, the passenger receives a call from the website informing them that the price of the ticket has increased and the passenger will need to pay the difference, which is often 10 to 30 percent higher.
Passengers have the option to cancel their reservation, but the refund is promised only after a week. Attempts to contact the website’s customer service provided through the landline proves futile as there is no response.
Hundreds of people have reportedly lost their money through this swindle.Sources at MoCI have confirmed that the ministry is coordinating with the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) to take measures against the platform, including shutting down the website.
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